New AZ immigration law has made me think as a UK immigrant

I am from AZ, living in the UK on a spousal visa. All of the recent drama coming from the new AZ immigration law (AND having to hear about it all the time from family and FB friend posts, etc.) has got me thinking.... I won't get in to whether I think it's right or not, as I don't actually know what I think about it. Good arguments on both sides, and I think misunderstandings on both sides - everything isn't exactly clear in what you see in the media either. BUT my main point, is that I have been asked a couple of times now from friends/fam back in AZ if I have to carry my paperwork around with me here. Now my answer to that is no as I rarely carry my passport around with me for safe-keeping reasons. People just don't carry their passports around, it's not normal as far as I am aware. But now I am second guessing, are we required to carry proof of our visas at all times as immigrants?? AND on that note, if you are a citizen of a country and you don't actually have, lets say, a drivers license or even in some people's cases a passport, there are no ramifications for not carrying some other form of ID with you, right? Not trying to start any controversial conversations here, just wondering if I'm missing something or if someone has a different impression?

As far as I'm aware you don't have to carry any ID with you as an immigrant, you certainly don't need to as a Brit.
DW was surprised when I told her you don't even have to carry your driving documents (licence, insurance etc) whilst in the car.

DW was surprised when I told her you don't even have to carry your driving documents (licence, insurance etc) whilst in the car.

Really? That seems strange to me, because I'm so used to it. I was freaking out when I forgot to bring my purse (with license inside) with me when I drove the 1 mile to the gym the other morning. I just knew I'd get stopped! lol

DW was surprised when I told her you don't even have to carry your driving documents (licence, insurance etc) whilst in the car.

I find this weird, too (not that I don't believe you, TM).  What do you give to a policeman when he pulls you over if you're not carrying a driving license or proof of insurance?

You have 5 days to present it to them.  It is correct that you DO NOT need to carry it.

You have 5 days to present it to them.  It is correct that you DO NOT need to carry it.

You do have to give your name and address to a police officer if he or she asks for it. The officer can ask to see all or any of these:

   1. a valid insurance certificate;
   2. a current MOT certificate
   3. your driving licence (both parts).

Any that are asked for, that you do not have with you, you will have to produce within 7 days (not 5) from the date of the notice which the police officer hands you, which is known formally as an HORT1 notice and colloquially as a "producer". You have to nominate a police station that you will visit to produce the documents.

Does anyone who has a UKBA ID card need to have it on them at all times?

Does anyone who has a UKBA ID card need to have it on them at all times?

No. You must show the card to your employer or approved education provider before starting work or study. You will also need to take your card with you if you go abroad while you have permission to stay in the UK. You are not required to always carry it.

No. You must show the card to your employer or approved education provider before starting work or study. You will also need to take your card with you if you go abroad while you have permission to stay in the UK. You are not required to always carry it.

Cool. Thanks.  I didn't know what the rules were on that.

No. You must show the card to your employer or approved education provider before starting work or study. You will also need to take your card with you if you go abroad while you have permission to stay in the UK. You are not required to always carry it.

Have these been issued now? Whats the process as DW doesn't have one, would she need one if changing employers?

No, it's only the people who were on the list of having to get one at the time of getting their visas. Your wife would just show her passport vignette if she got that.

Interesting! I didn't know that about the drivers licenses either! And for that matter, I remember being really cheesed off that at Morrisons once that they wouldn't accept my AZ drivers license as ID to buy alcohol because it didn't have an EU symbol. I kindly tried to reason that it was not a requirement to have an ID with EU symbol as I'm not even able to get one and have NEVER been told that before. She said you could get one for £11 at the post office - not true when I looked in to it. Anyone know of any other ID we're supposed to have?

I carry my UK driving licence on me, mainly out of habit from the US, but never carry my passport around for fear I would lose my handbag or something stupid. Once in the US, I was with an Englishman who was stopped by the police and they asked for his visa / passport and paperwork, and he didn't have it with him, so they just followed him to his house and he showed it to them there (he lived closeby and was heading home anyway). I have no idea if that's the usual procedure or not. It was a bit surreal at the time.

I carry all my IDs(UKBA id, NiN card, provisional license) with me just out of habit. But, I know you're not required to carry them around with you. Military brat habits die hard. DH doesn't carry his license around with him, though. And he's still got one of the old school paper ones with no photograph on it. They haven't asked him to change it, so he doesn't. He's got all of his car info in one of those little insurance plastic packet things on the windscreen.

 I don't carry my IDs from the State with me, though. One time at the bank, I handed the teller my bank card and my license out of habit when she had to look something up for me. She looked at me like I was nuts and gave me back my license. Oh. Oops.

He's got all of his car info in one of those little insurance plastic packet things on the windscreen.

I just learned not to have your documents inside the car because if a 'bad' guy steals your car and is pulled over by the police the bad guy will reach over and get the documents  from the glove box and he can be on his way. Also if the docs are in the glove box the bad guy can get your address and hit your home while you are delayed getting home, because he has your car. So the solution is carry them in the trunk (boot) were they are out of the way.